St. Vincent "Strange Mercy"

The last one was TERRIBLE!!!!! Not the album, but the review. "Chloe in The Afternoon" starts with some cacophonous funky bass next to some angelic harmonies and two different beats; sounds intriguing and inviting despite the their arguing. Those keys can be so "Cruel" because they would like to take hold of your memory and not let go, but then who can forget that visit to the clouds as the subtle beat has us sore along nad an organ brings us closer to the ground and we land with dancing shoes instead of wheels. Despite the title of the song, it is not very cheery. The song admits that she has fallen for bad boys and declares that she will no longer be the "Cheerleader" for her latest. I would have to say this song needed a "Surgeon" until  that funky harp, that timp beat, oriental flourish, and flute amidst more business towards the end. These "Northern Lights" tell us that "Its a champagne year full of sober monks" among not much else, but the rest speaks for itself as the pendulum starts to build up momentum by the beat and goes in some dizzying distortion, and bells from above with some more tambourine and Clark's distinctive vocals. The next song has that of "Strange Mercy" with nothing extraneous, nothing annoying, and nothing but beauty in its low-key approach, and "If ever I meet that dirty policeman who roughed you up" I do not know what I would do. I guess the next song is like "Neutered Fruit" focusing more on having us listen to her strong songwriting ability and vocals instead of trying to give us a headache. The song is appropriate and the lyrics ask, which sound slightly possessive/obsessive when she sings "Did you ever really stare at me like I stare at you?" but heart wrenching when she sings "Did you ever really care for me/like I care for you??" We can all relate to the feeling of unrequited love, especially if we love someone that we will never know, or is someone over any popular social networking site whom we may never meet.In the former line that can be pretty creepy, in that context to be obsessed over someone you may never meet. St. Vincent makes music that we wanna hear, and tells us what we wanna hear which doesn't make enough, but keeps her mind in use so no cobwebs appear. Oh "Dilettante," or should I say oh Elijah! "What is so pressing, that you can't undress me anyway?" are the last lines that end the song before the airy strings and key solo that seems to like to funk her too. The second last track is a song that steadily builds and works its muscles to gradually build "Hysterical Strength" with a a persistent jogging beat and piano accompaniment that leads to a reverb from inaudible to loud enough in around a minute twenty six. It's the year of the dragon, not the "Year of The Tiger," but maybe at the time it was written it could have been. The song is not fierce despite its name, but is a nice quiet ending that may be so quiet for fear of waking the tiger. My Favorites: Chloe in the Afternoon, Cruel, Surgeon Strange Mercy, Neutered Fruit, Dilettante, and Hysterical Strength.